


Before You Walk Away, You Know You Can Run In To My Arms

by The_Doctors_Song



Category: Doctor Who RPF, Mattex - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-17
Updated: 2012-09-17
Packaged: 2017-11-14 10:47:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/514432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Doctors_Song/pseuds/The_Doctors_Song
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You left."</p><p>She opened her mouth to speak, but he continued.</p><p>"You actually left. I thought you might need space, but a whole ocean was not what I had in mind. You left Alex. You ran."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Before You Walk Away, You Know You Can Run In To My Arms

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by P!NK's new song "Run". I suggest you listen to it :)

 

Before You Walk Away, You Know You Can Run In To My Arms  


 

Alex stared at the tabloid on the coffee table, a glass of red wine in her hand as the bold words glared back at her.

 

" **Kingston's Cougar Phase"**  


 

Her stomach clenched as her eyes trailed over the just barely recognizable image of her and Matt. They were looking at each other, his arms wrapped around her waist as she leaned in to kiss him.

 

"Damn photographers" she muttered, downing the rest of her glass.

 

It was not a phase. As far as she was concerned. She really, properly liked Matt, maybe even loved him. But none of that mattered to the media, just the age difference and her track record. She bit her lip as she closed her eyes, wondering what Matt would say. 

 

It was a brand new issue, she'd only seen it this morning when she went to, ironically, buy another bottle of red. Foresight, she should've known. But she was fairly sure Matt hadn't seen the magazine yet. Or the paper titled **"MRS ROBINSON AND THE DOCTOR?"**. Both of which sat mocking her on the table in front of her. 

 

She had expected this. The jabs at her age opposed to his, the referrals to her exes, both Ralph and Florian. Hell, they even touched on her lack of work lately. Brilliant. 

 

She stood suddenly, glaring at the papers as she walked from her living room to the kitchen, pulling the half-empty bottle of wine from the counter and beginning to pour another glass. Stopping mid way, she sighed, gulping down the glass before simply picking up the bottle and returning to her seat on the couch. 

 

Sitting with her feet tucked under her, she took a swig of the bottle, her gaze once again returning to the open magazine, one sentence ringing in her head as she re-read it.

 

_"With Kingston's past in the dating scene, what could this mean for Matt Smith, and just how will this affect The Doctor when this all goes wrong?"_

 

Her lip trembled as her eyes began to water. Of course. She's never had a great track record with the men in her life, and it almost always ends badly between her and her exes. God, Matt didn't deserve that. He didn't deserve to end up like Florian, whom she barely speaks to beyond a "How is Salome?" and "Are you okay?". She couldn't do that to him. Not to Matt. And certainly not to herself. Matt was different to her than to what Flo was. She loved Matt too much. She couldn't do this to him, throw all her baggage and failure on to his shoulders and just expect him to carry her. 

 

She dropped the bottle on to the table, careful to make sure it doesn't spill, before somberly making her way down the hall.

 

She grabbed the phone from it's hold as she passed, quickly dialing the airport and booking a flight back to LA. She couldn't do it anymore. She couldn't be in London, and she couldn't drag Matt down with her. She opened the door to the bedroom, pausing to look around the messed sheets and scattered clothes. She'd been staying at Matt's the last few nights. She picked up all her clothing and all of her things, quickly shoving them in to a bag she took from Matt's closet. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath before closing the front door, leaving an almost empty bottle, a magazine and a newspaper, and a note, with just three words written.

 

_"I'm so sorry"_

 

~.~

 

Matt walked through the door with a large grin on his face as he carried a box of Chinese in his arms.

 

"Alex? I got us something to eat. Love?"

 

When he didn't get a reply, he looked around the room, his eyes landing on the bottle of red wine that was almost empty. Frowning, he dropped the food on the table next to the bottle, looking over the objects sitting on the table.

 

**"Kingston's Cougar Phase"**

 

And

 

**"MRS ROBINSON AND THE DOCTOR?"**

 

He clenched his fist as his eyes scanned the words. Stupid reporters. They don't know a thing about what they're talking about. Shifting his eyes across the table, he picked up the post it note stuck to the magazine cover.

 

_"I'm so sorry."_

 

Frowning still, he looked up, dropping the note as he noticed the sweater Alex had taken off last night wasn't lying over the back of the couch. The note fluttered to the ground as he took off for his bedroom.

 

There was no reason for him to panic of course. Maybe she just was cold and went out for a stroll. 

 

As soon as he opened the door he froze, his thoughts freezing with him as he stared around the room. 

 

Was it possible to seem so cluttered, yet so incredibly empty at the same time?

 

She'd made the bed, smoothed the sheets down and fluffed the pillows. Her clothes were missing from both the floor and his wardrobe, along with a bag he knew was packed on the very top shelf. Pulling his phone from his jeans pocket, he scrolled through his contacts and hit dial on "Kingston". 

 

He reached her voicemail, his voice panicked and cracked as he asked her where she was, what she was doing, and telling her she has to come back. Canceling the call, he put his hand on the back of his head, turned and fell on the bed, staring at the ceiling. 

 

She was gone. She'd left him. Why?

 

It had to have been the tabloids. She was so happy this morning, so content with lying next to him in bed snuggled to his chest. Maybe she just needed space. She was probably with Karen, or she'd driven to her parents, or she was with her sister. He'd call again in the morning. He couldn't lose her over something so trivial as the presses intense need for fucking with everyone's head. He'd call again in the morning.

 

~.~

 

And again the next night.

 

~.~

 

Twice a day for a week.

 

~.~

 

Until he met with Karen and Arthur at the pub for lunch.

 

"How's Alex?"

 

Karen looked at him oddly, her eyes flicking to Arthur's as she frowned at him.

 

"What do you mean?"

 

Matt shrugged, his eyes downcast as he slowly ripped the napkin in to tiny little pieces.

 

"I thought she was with you?"

 

Karen shook her head, her eyes narrowed as she stared at Matt.

 

"Matt... Alex is in LA, remember."

 

Matt looked up, the broken napkin left unattended as he stuttered out a "What?".

 

Karen nodded, he eyes slowly widening as she realized Matt was absolutely clueless.

 

"You didn't know?"

 

Matt gaped, his heart pounding against his chest.

 

"No! I thought she'd gone to stay with you or her family. I figured she was upset at the papers last week and wanted to be alone."

 

Karen shook her head, her had darting out to grip his tightly.

 

"Something's not right. Matt, call her!"

 

He pulled his hand from her, looking at Arthur who was staring at him with narrowed eyes.

 

"I... I've tried. She doesn't answer."

 

They were silent as they comprehended what he'd said.

 

"She's running."

 

He looked up at Arthur, the other man now staring at the table tops.

 

"She's had problems with men before, she wasn't treated right. And now she thinks she's gonna drag you down with her. So she ran."

 

He stared at Arthur as his words echoed through his head.

 

She'd run.

 

So he'd run to.

 

She stood abruptly, pulling some cash from his pocket before racing from the pub, his two friends calling after him. He was in his phone as he pushed through the crowd on the street, booking a flight before calling Steven and simply saying "Not gonna be there tomorrow. Going to LA". Without letting Steven speak, he ended the call, hailing a cab quickly as he thought of Alex.

 

He was not going to lose her.

 

~.~ 

 

The door startled Alex awake as the bell rang through the house. Blinking at the clock beside her bed, she frowned. Who was knocking on her door at three in the morning? Leaving the warmth of her bed, she flicked the light on, cringing at the redness of her eyes. Stupid tears. Padding down the stairs, she pulled the door open and wrapped an arm around her waist. 

 

"Matt?" 

 

Her eyes widened as she recognized the figure standing in front of her. It had been raining outside, and he was thoroughly soaked, his hair clinging to his face as he stared at her with dark eyes.

 

"You left."

 

She opened her mouth to speak, but he continued.

 

"You actually left. I thought you might need space, but a whole ocean was not what I had in mind. You left Alex. You ran."

 

She looked away from him, not trusting herself to look at him in the eye without breaking in to tears.

 

"I couldn't... You deserve better Matt. Better than a fifty year old woman with two failed marriages and a daughter that's not yours."

 

"Bullshit."

 

Her eyes snapped to his as he stepped forward, backing her against the door and trapping her there as he lifted an arm and placed it on the wood beside her head. Leaning in, he stared at her as her lip trembled.

 

"I can't do any better Alex. You're it. Always have been, always will be. You are an incredibly gorgeous, funny and insanely addictive fifty year old woman Alex. The two men that didn't know the good thing they had, I have to thank them. Without them, I never would have you. And that daughter, she's the girl I've loved almost as much as her mother for almost three years now. You don't get to decide who for me Alex. Especially when it comes to you."

 

A tear slid from her cheek, her hands now gripping Matt's soaked shirt. Matt lifted a hand, brushing the tear away with his thumb before bending his head and catching Alex's lips with his own.

 

God, he missed this. One week, and he could barely stay sane. He didn't know what he'd have done if she never came back to him. Her hands left his shirts, wrapping around his neck and tangling in his damp hair as his own fell to her waist. Pushing her against the door, he pulled on her bottom lip with his teeth, smiling in satisfaction as she moaned.

 

He lifted her carefully, both of his hands having falling to her arse and his hips ground in to her own. She bucked against him, her legs wrapping around his hips as he held her against the door. Spinning, his hands pinning her hips to his as she held on around his neck, he kicked the door shut, walking her backwards towards the stairs. 

 

"Never." He muttered as his lips pecked hers before trailing down to her neck. "Never. Ever. Do that again."

 

She mumbled something incoherently as she ground down on his erection. 

 

"What?" She mumbled, throwing her head back as his mouth sucked on a spot on her neck he knew drove her crazy. 

 

Pushing the door to her bedroom open, he pulled away.

 

"Don't ever run from me again." 

 

And then he was kissing her again, she door slowly shutting as they fell to the bed, closing with a soft 'click'.


End file.
